Riff: Bad Brains – “Youth of Today”

The youth of today is the man of tomorrow/They don’t live in tears, beg, steal, or borrow

Halfway into “Youth,” Bad Brains finally bust out the much-needed reggae – this really is more their wheelhouse than ever-evolving hardcore. The reggae half serves as a substitute for a more typical thrash breakdown and fits the emphasis on the “youth of today” taking us “into the future.”

Riff by Karl Ernest

Karl is a Seattle-based musician and writer at SONGLYRICS; a veteran of both east and west-coast scenes, he has performed with the likes of The Ying Yang Twins, David Arquette, Wynton Marsalis, among others. But he's no stranger to seedy dives or house shows, either.